Fracture-reducing splint



Sept. 13, 1938. [R ANDERSON FRACTURE REDUCING SPLINT Filed March 2. 1955 INVENTOR OZEJ A TTORNEY N M w V v m m Y S M MM 2 Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE 2,129,635 FRACTURE-REDUCING SPLINT Roger Anderson, Seattle, Wash. Application March 2, 1935, Serial No. 9,061

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fracture reducing splints and it has reference more particularly to splints of the character of my U. S. patent, issued on October 3, 1933 under 7 No. 1,928,658, disclosing the provision of means whereby tractive force may be applied to a fractured leg for extension or reduction through a mechanism applied thereto and to the opposite leg in such manner that the latter leg sustains the counter tractive forces.

. The device of the above patent employs what is termed an anchor yoke that is adapted to be secured by plaster cast, or otherwise, to the well leg of the patient. Connected to this anchor yoke through the mediacy of certain links and levers, is a traction yoke arranged for skeletal attachment to the injured leg. Through the mediacy of the connecting means, a tractive force may be applied to theskeletal part of the leg to which the traction yokeis attached for reduction of the fracture. age in this patented device extends beyond the legs and this prevents perambulation of the patient while the splint is worn.

The present invention has for its principal object to improve upon the construction of the above patented device in a manner to permit tripod perambulation of the user. Also, to provide certain improvements in construct-ion that will permit of an easier application of the device as well as a more satisfactory adjustment and a more comfortable convalescence, particularly with respect to inversion and eversion of the foot of the well leg, which sustains the counter tractive forces.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts and in their mode of operation as will hereinafter be described.

the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. l is a view illustrating the splint as applied.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the splint.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the splint.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the traction yoke particularly illustrating its rotary adjustment.

Referring more particularly to the drawing;-

In accordance with the objects of the present invention, the splint is designed in such manner that tractive force for the reduction of a fracture in one leg, hereinafter referred to as the injured leg, may be sustained by counter tractionin the opposite leg, hereinafter referred to as'the ,well

The connected link- In accomplishing these objects, I have provided leg. This requires that a suitable frame be provided for fixed application to the well leg for the mounting thereon of the necessary levers through which the tractive forces may be applied to the traction device secured to the injured leg. 5 In the present arrangement, the well leg frame comprises an arch bar l2, adapted to transversely overlie the leg at a point between the knee and ankle. The opposite ends of the bar are inclined rearwardly on the opposite sides of the leg for 10' the mounting of extension rods, as presently will be described. Centrally on the cross bar, is an integral, upwardly extending portion It, which, at its upper end, has a cross strap l l fixed thereto to embrace the leg, and this has opposite end 15' books l'la for the reception of anchor or attachment bandages. The cross bar i2 is provided with depending prongs l8 to receive attachment bandages thereove'r. Attached to the bar I? is a stirrup to which the foot of the well leg may be applied. This stirrup has opposite side arms la and I I) connected by an integral base bar Ic upon which a foot plate 2 is fixed. The base bar also is provided with a downward extension 3 to which a heel .4 is fixed for sustaining the weight of the patient for perambulation. 1

The splint may, in some cases, be used without thestirrup, but when it is applied to a patient, as shown on Fig. 1, the side members la and lb of the stirrup extend upwardly at opposite sides of the foot and terminate substantially even with the sub-astragular joint about which the foot hinges for inversion or eversion, and hingedly attached to the ends of these side members, by

hinge pins 5 and 5a, are adjustment plates 6 and 5a to which extension rods 1 and M, respectively, are attached. The hinge pins 5 and 5a,, in this arrangement, extend parallel with the longitudinal direction of the foot plate 2, while the extension rods 1 and la are arranged to extend along opposite sides of the lower leg above the ankle and are pivotally attached, respectively, to the plates 6 and 6a, to permit ankle movements and adjustment of the stirrup for upward or downward tilting of the foot plate 2 while the splint is 5 secured to the patient. I

The means for pivo-tally connecting the rods 1 and 1a to their respective plates ii and 6a is shown best in Fig. 3 wherein the plates are shown as being formed with flat, circular end portions 6?] 50.

to which circular lugs lb, fixed to the lower ends of the rods, are fitted. These paired circular members 6b and lb at opposite sides of the frame are pivotally secured together by pivot screw bolts IEI, transversely and axially alined,

and the adjacent surfaces of paired members are knurled to prevent relative slippage when they are tightened together by their respective pivot bolts ID.

The opposite end portions of the arch bar l2 are provided with passages or bores for slidably containing the upper ends of the rods 1 and la which are threaded and have adjusting wing nuts M mounted thereon and contained within slots E5 in the opposite ends of the arch bar. The nuts fit the slots so that rotation thereof will effect an upward or a downward adjustment of the rods for raising, lowering or for tilting the V stirrup inwardly or outwardly.

Pivotally attached to the upward extension l6, by a pivot bolt I9, is a lateraly extending lever 28 to which a block 22 is pivotally attached by a pivot bolt 23 that may be extended through any one of a plurality of holes 24 spaced along the outer end of lever 20. The block 22 mounts a semicircular frame 25 that is arranged to embrace the injured limb and which is designed to be anchored to a cast applied to the limb. The cast, in turn, may, if this is desirable, be attached to a bone of the limb by a pin or wire extended therethrough, at any suitable place as indicated at 26. Likewise, skeletal countertraction can be sustained by a pin as indicated at 26a, through a cast applied to the Well leg, as seen in Fig. 1.

The frame 25 is slidably mounted in the block 22 for adjustment in a circumferential direction so that the limb, when secured to the frame, may be rotatably adjusted about its anatomical axis. This adjustment of the frame may be sustained by a set screw 21 threaded through the block, as seen in Fig. 4, to be tightened against the frame thereby to hold it against movement in the block.

In order that a tractive force may be applied to the injured limb, through the mediacy of lever It, I have rigidly fixed a. bracket bar 30 to the cross bar [2 to extend laterally and downwardly therefrom to about half the length of lever 20. A threaded rod 3! is pivotally attached to the end of the bracket 39 by a pivot bolt 32 and this rod extends slidably through a lug 33 pivoted in the lever 23 to apply the tractive force. To provide for a yielding application of this tractive force, a coiled spring 35 is disposed about the rod between the lug 3t and the adjusting nut 34.

In the use of this splint, the skeletal attachment pins 25 and 26a are first applied. Then the proper plaster casts are applied to the legs. Following this, the arch bar l2 and traction member 25 are incorporated in the casts and connected by the lever 20.

After the casts have been applied to the legs and the anchor frame and traction frame have been secured therein, then the tractive force may be applied by tightening of the wing nut 34 on the rod SE to swing the outer end of lever 20 downwardly. This traction force may be app-lied to the extent desired. Also, rotation of the injured limb is made possible by the sliding connection provided in the mounting of the anchor plate 25 in the block 22.

The device is to be used without the stirrup if perambulation is not desired but when it is used for this or other purposes, adjustments of the wing nuts l 4 is made to properly set the stirrup and to bring the foot plate 2 properly against the sole of a shoe applied to the foot so that the weight of the patient may be sustained thereby in perambulation. It will be understood that, by a properly adjusted extension of the rods 1 and 1a, the stirrup may be tilted as desired for obtaining a desired inversion or eversion of the foot through the pivoting of the stirrup about the hinge pivots 5 and 5a: alined With the subastragular joint. It is also understood that a downward or upward tilting adjustment of the foot plate 2 is possible by the adjustment provided between the plates 60 and lb, on loosening the bolts H].

In some instances it may be desired to encase the foot in the cast, and in those instances, the bottom of the cast would be allowed to rest against the foot plate 2.

The patient may, by use of crutches, have tripod perambulation, since his weight can be sustained through the well leg frame upon the heel extension 4 and without any weight on the injured leg.

Should it be desired to apply the device to the opposite leg, it is only required to detach link 3| from bracket 30 and then reverse the position of the bracket in its application to member l6, so that the bracket extends downwardly to the opposite side, then swing the lever about its pivot 19 to the opposite side and again attach the link 3| to bracket 30. It will be observed that the bracket may swing on to mounting bolt 36, see Fig. 1, and will be held in either position by a pin or bolt 31.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A splint of the character described comprising a frame adapted for fixed attachment to a normal leg of the human body, a traction member adapted for fixed attachment to an injured leg, means interconnecting the frame and traction member for application of a tractive force to the traction member to be sustained as countertraction on the frame, and an ambulatory support extended from said frame and providing for sustaining body weight through the well leg only.

2. A splint of the characwr described comprising a frame adapted for cast attachment to a normal leg of the human body, and including a foot plate against which counter tractive forces and weight in perambulation may be sustained, a traction member adapted for connection with an injured leg of the body, and a lever interconnecting the frame and traction member above the ankle for the application of a tractive force to the traction member to be sustained as countertraction on the frame and an ambulatory support extended from the plate in axial alinement with the well leg and providing for sustaining body weight without reaction to the injured limb.

3. A splint of the character described comprising a frame structure adapted to embrace the lower leg for cast attachment thereto and including opposite side members and a foot plate supported by said side members by which countertractive forces and body weight may be sustained, a traction member adapted for cast attachment to the opposite leg, a lever mechanism interconnecting the frame and traction member and means for adjusting the lever to effect an application of tractive force on the traction member which is sustained as countertraction on the frame; said side members of the frame including joints providing for adjustment of the foot plate to different positions of'inclination.

4. A-splint of the character described comprising'aframe structure adapted to embrace the lower leg for east attachment thereto and including opposite side members and a foot plate supported rigidly by said side members by which countertractive forces and body weight may be sustained, a traction member adapted for cast attachment to the opposite leg, and a lever mechanism interconnecting the frame and traction member and definitely spacing them and adjustable to effect an application of tractive force on the traction member which is sustained as countertraction on the frame; said side members of the frame including joints that are transversely alined with the ankle joint to permit downward or upward tilting of the foot plate, and having other joints therein providing for lateral tilting inwardly or outwardly.

5. A splint of the character described, comprising a countertraction frame adapted for attachment to one leg of the body, a traction frame adapted for attachment to the other leg, and a leverage mechanism joining the said frame and member in spaced relation and including means for adjusting it to effect an application of tractive force to the traction member which is sustained by countertraction on the frame; said frame comprising jointed opposite side members and a foot rest sustained by said members; said side members being independently adjustable in length to effect inward or outward lateral tilting of the foot rest.

6. A splint of the character described, comprising a countertraction frame adapted to be secured to one leg of the human body by cast attachment, a traction member adapted for cast attachment to the other leg, a lever pivotally attached at its ends to the frame and traction memher, and means on the frame and connected with said lever to effect an adjustment thereof for applying tractive force to the traction member; said countertraction frame comprising opposite side members, supporting a foot plate and an extended ambulatory support and being jointed in alinement with the ankle for upward or downward tilting of the foot plate and having other joints providing for inward or outward lateral tilting of the foot plate.

'7. A splint of the character described comprising a countertraction frame adapted for fixed attachment to one leg of the human body, a traction member adapted for fixed attachment to the other leg, a traction exerting lever having one end pivotally connected with said frame and means on the other end of the lever having an adjustable connection with the traction member and providing for a rotative adjustment of the leg to which traction is applied about its anatomical axis; said points of connection directly overlying the anatomical axis of the limbs.

8. A splint of the character described comprising a countertraction frame adapted for fixed attachment to one leg of the human body, a traction member adapted for fixed attachment to the other leg, a traction exerting lever having one end pivotally connected with said frame and means on the other end of the lever having an adjustable connection with the traction member and providing for a rotative adjustment of the leg to which traction is applied about its anatomical axis; said points of connection directly overlying the anatomical axis of the limbs, wherein the traction member is of arcuate form to partially encircle the leg and said attachment means comprises a block that is mounted for slidable adjustment along the arcuate portion and which has pivotal mounting on the lever.

ROGER ANDERSON. 

